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Attack
Right-Wing: Riyad Mahrez
Riyad Mahrez racked up 13 goals and 16 assists in all competitions for Manchester City last season, but his performances went slightly under the radar as he was only the Sky Blues' fourth-most effective player. Nevertheless, his eye for goal and the powers of his wand-of-a-left-foot have not diminished, so Mahrez ought to keep his place as a right-wing inside forward for Manchester City this season.
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While Pep Guardiola's penchant for rotation meant that Mahrez initially did not find a place in Manchester City's starting lineup at the start of the 2019-20 campaign, the Algerian has made sure that the right-wing is his coming into this season as he put together a string of stellar performances to end the 2019-20 season.
The €45m purchase of Ferran Torres from Valencia was made undoubtedly with an eye on the future, and the 20-year-old Spanish winger could surely give Mahrez a run for his money. Bernardo Silva remains another option in a position that looks extremely well-stacked for Manchester City.
Central Striker: Sergio Aguero
The obituary of Sergio Aguero's Manchester City career has been written multiple times ever since Gabriel Jesus joined the club, but time and again, the evergreen Argentinian has maanged to prove pundits wrong. Despite all his injuries, Kun Aguero remains Manchester City's talisman, and the fans at the Etihad will be praying that he stays fit all season.
Why? With 23 goals and four assists in just 2092 minutes for Manchester City last season, Aguero averaged a goal involvement every 77 minutes. It's an astonishing number that will no doubt rise further if he manages to stay injury free this campaign.
However, at the age of 32, the Argentine striker is no spring chicken, and Gabriel Jesus is waiting in the wings to take over if needed.
Jesus' contribution of 23 goals and 14 assists in all competitions was overlooked in some quarters, but definitely not by his manager Pep Guardiola who opted against bringing in striking reinforcement in the transfer market. Either way, Manchester City have all the striking firepower they need.
Left-Wing: Raheem Sterling
A tap-in into an unguarded goal that was blazed over from a couple of yards out - that will sadly be the most abiding memory of Raheem Sterling from the 2019-20 campaign. His miss against Olympique Lyonnais will go down in UEFA Champions League history, but the English winger has always been able to handle with aplomb the criticism that often comes his way.
What was most impressive about Sterling's 2019-20 season for Manchester City was that he bettered Kevin De Bruyne's 39 goal contributions with 41 of his own. With Leroy Sane having left the club, Sterling's role on the left-wing, from where he can score and assist with scarcely believable ease, has become incredibly important.
While Bernardo Silva also offers options on the left-wing, Sterling's ability to be a bit more direct may come into play against opponents who set up to defend. Guardiola will be hoping that there are no more open-goal misses in 2020-21.
